OU taught me to not be afraid to make mistakes and that if you still can't get it right, there is someone within the OU community that has the answer you are looking for. My coursework at OU has challenged me to think outside of the box, with many of my projects teaching me how to collaborate well with people from all backgrounds and experience levels. This was extremely important when I began my internship at Tesla, because so many of my colleagues came from unique backgrounds and offered unique perspectives.
As a sustaining equipment engineer intern, I essentially belong to the first group of people who solve issues that may occur with any equipment like robots, laser scanners, or any other kind of equipment that is involved with the production line of a vehicle. Sometimes, the issues that arise could take a few minutes or a few hours to solve.
One of my biggest contributions was helping launch the new 2023 Cybertruck Tesla. I contributed to my team by ensuring all the production systems, like the automation processes and safety standards, were met. This meant having to know what the processes entailed and making sure that what my team planned could be brought into reality. Understanding manufacturing safety standards was extremely crucial to the Cybertruck's launch, so with other engineers, we created a plan to test and validate these standards.
Like OU, Tesla encourages innovation and learning, so whenever it came to learning new technologies, I felt confident in asking for help from my colleagues, like I would've done at OU with my peers or professors. At OU, I am also in a lot of research and lab spaces that could have potentional dangers to me, and one of the first things we learn is the importance of safety—not only to oneself, but to others. Safety is always the top priority, and this was reflected during my time at Tesla, where everything that was built or planned always had in mind the perspective and intent to reduce the risk of harm to others.
